On this day March 31 1985 the very first WrestleMania was held at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The event was a huge gamble for the WWF but it paid off big and became the launchpad for professional wrestling’s explosion into pop culture.
The main event featured Hulk Hogan and Mr T teaming up to take on Rowdy Roddy Piper and Mr Wonderful Paul Orndorff. With Muhammad Ali as a guest referee and celebrities like Cyndi Lauper and Liberace in attendance the night brought together sports entertainment and Hollywood in a way that had never been done before. WrestleMania changed the landscape of wrestling forever setting the stage for what would become the biggest annual event in sports entertainment.
80s insight: The first WrestleMania was not shown on pay per view but was instead available via closed circuit television in select theaters and arenas across the country.